Author: John Muchow

Moli and NPE sent me several of these cells for testing and my thoughts about their performance. This is just a sneak peek at what’s coming, they hope to ship them to the rewrapping companies by the first quarter of 2019. I will retest them when they start shipping to the rewrappers. Some MIGHT be available before the end of the year though.

As of now, Moli won’t be making this cell directly available to us in its original wrapper due to existing agreements.

This is a great performing 21700 which hits harder and runs for longer than the Samsung 40T. It even competes with the Samsung 30T at 30A. The 30T hits harder for about the first third of the discharge but then the P42A holds its voltage up better and hits harder for the rest of the discharge.

If you use a mech and you change cells early then the 30T is the better choice because it hits harder at the start. But if you run your cells down to 3.5V-3.6V (when put on the charger), and wanted a slightly more consistent vape that could run for longer, then the P42A is probably worth trying. 

The datasheet lists 45A as the max continuous current rating but notes that cycle life is reduced at high current levels. Running this cell continuously at 45A gets it much too hot for that to be a continuous current rating we can use for comparing to other cells.

The datasheet lists the minimum capacity at 4000mAh. The four P42A’s I tested delivered 4168mAh – 4182mAh at 800mA (0.2C) down to 2.5V. This is amazing consistency and they all easily meet their minimum capacity rating.

I am rating this Molicel at 30A and 4000mAh. Molicel is working on adding a good cycle life continuous current rating and a higher temperature-limited rating (much like Sony/Murata does) to their datasheets to make it easier for us to directly compare their cells to others used by us.

Five cells were donated for the purposes of testing by Moli (http://www.molicel.com/hq/about/aboutus1.html) and N-Power Energy, Ltd. Thank you!

Ratings graphic: https://imgur.com/a/2qqrCWo

Test report: https://bit.ly/2z9mgiF

I want to work for the vaping community full time! If you feel what I do is worth a couple dollars a month and you would like early access to battery availability and testing news and a say in what I test then please consider becoming a patron and supporting my testing efforts: https://www.patreon.com/batterymooch

These tests only note the ESTIMATED ratings for these batteries at the time I tested them. Any battery that is not a genuine Samsung, Sony, LG, Panasonic, or Sanyo can change at any time! This is one of the hazards of using “rewrapped” batteries or batteries from other manufacturers so carefully research any battery you are considering using before purchasing.

Misusing or mishandling lithium-ion batteries can pose a SERIOUS RISK of personal injury or property damage. They are not meant to be used outside of a protected battery pack. Never exceed the battery’s continuous current rating and keep the plastic wrap and top insulating ring in perfect condition.

Any rating in my ratings tables can change at any time as different grade cells appear on the market, we get swamped with fakes, or new information becomes available to me. Please, never assume that the ratings in the tables are permanent and will never change! Always download the latest version before considering any cell purchase.

Moli and NPE sent me several of these cells for testing and my thoughts about their performance. They were manufactured for one of Moli’s customers but Moli wants to make it available to other markets. This is just a sneak peek at what’s coming, they hope to ship them to the rewrapping companies by the first quarter of 2019. I will retest them when they start shipping to the rewrappers.

As of now, Moli won’t be making this cell directly available to us in its original wrapper due to existing agreements.

This is a great performing 20700 that fills a performance “hole” in the 20700’s we can buy. It outperforms the Sanyo NCR20700B at all power levels. It even outperforms the Molicel INR20700A (and its rewraps from Efest, Vapcell, and others) and the Golisi S32 (and others using that same China manufactured cell) at up to about 15A/45W. At about 20A/60W or higher though those other cells outperform the M42A.

This is a high capacity “energy” cell, best suited for up to moderate power levels. It is not a “power” cell made for higher discharge current levels, like the Molicel INR20700A.

The datasheet lists 20A as the max continuous current rating but notes that cycle life is reduced at high current levels. I recommend staying at 15Α/45W or lower with the M42A to get the best performance and longest life from this cell.

The datasheet lists the minimum capacity at 4000mAh and typical capacity at 4200mAh. The four Molicels I tested delivered 4100mAh – 4149mAh at 800mA (0.2C) down to 2.5V. This is pretty good consistency and they easily meet their minimum capacity rating.

I am rating this Molicel at 20A and 4000mAh.

Five cells were donated for the purposes of testing by Moli (http://www.molicel.com/hq/about/aboutus1.html) and N-Power Energy, Ltd. Thank you!

Ratings graphic: https://imgur.com/a/boqnqe1

Test report: https://bit.ly/2yC9NV2

I want to work for the vaping community full time! If you feel what I do is worth a couple dollars a month and you would like early access to battery availability and testing news and a say in what I test then please consider becoming a patron and supporting my testing efforts: https://www.patreon.com/batterymooch

These tests only note the ESTIMATED ratings for these batteries at the time I tested them. Any battery that is not a genuine Samsung, Sony, LG, Panasonic, or Sanyo can change at any time! This is one of the hazards of using “rewrapped” batteries or batteries from other manufacturers so carefully research any battery you are considering using before purchasing.

Misusing or mishandling lithium-ion batteries can pose a SERIOUS RISK of personal injury or property damage. They are not meant to be used outside of a protected battery pack. Never exceed the battery’s continuous current rating and keep the plastic wrap and top insulating ring in perfect condition.

Any rating in my ratings tables can change at any time as different grade cells appear on the market, we get swamped with fakes, or new information becomes available to me. Please, never assume that the ratings in the tables are permanent and will never change! Always download the latest version before considering any cell purchase.

This cell is accurately rated and is a good performer. The VTC5A/5D/6A and Samsung 20S still hit harder though, especially the 20S which is still the hardest hitting 18650.

The cell-to-cell consistency of these Vapcells was very good, equal to cells from the major OEMs like Samsung, Sony, etc. They do not physically match any OEM cell I have though. I do not know where they were manufactured and Vapcell hasn’t responded to my question about that.

The four cells I tested delivered 2106mAh to 2128mAh at 400mA (0.2C) down to 2.5V. This is a very small range of values and is great to see.

I am ESTIMATING this Vapcell’s ratings to be 28A continuous (about 80W) and 2000mAh.

Four cells were donated for the purposes of testing by Vapcell (http://www.vapcelltech.com).

Ratings graphic: https://imgur.com/a/wewC2l3

Test report: https://bit.ly/2R1RoYw

I want to work for the vaping community full time! If you feel what I do is worth a couple dollars a month and you would like early access to battery availability and testing news and a say in what I test then please consider becoming a patron and supporting my testing efforts: https://www.patreon.com/batterymooch

These tests only note the ESTIMATED ratings for these batteries at the time I tested them. Any battery that is not a genuine Samsung, Sony, LG, Panasonic, or Sanyo can change at any time! This is one of the hazards of using “rewrapped” batteries or batteries from other manufacturers so carefully research any battery you are considering using before purchasing.

Misusing or mishandling lithium-ion batteries can pose a SERIOUS RISK of personal injury or property damage. They are not meant to be used outside of a protected battery pack. Never exceed the battery’s continuous current rating and keep the plastic wrap and top insulating ring in perfect condition.

Any rating in my ratings tables can change at any time as different grade cells appear on the market, we get swamped with fakes, or new information becomes available to me. Please, never assume that the ratings in the tables are permanent and will never change! Always download the latest version before considering any cell purchase.

To see how other cells have tested check out this link: https://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/blog-entry/list-of-battery-tests.7436/

While this cell is accurately rated it is not a great performer. But it is certainly an option if you need a 15A cell and no other better performing cells, like the Samsung 30Q or Sony VTC6, are available.

The two I tested showed a bit of inconsistency in performance between them but it wasn’t bad.

These Radio Shack cells use a paper ring as the top insulator. Do not let eliquid, or any liquid, get on the top as it could weaken the ring and/or cause rusting underneath.

The two cells I tested delivered 3089mAh and 3115mAh at 600mA (0.2C) down to 2.5V. This is decent performance for a cell rated at 3000mAh.

I am ESTIMATING this Radio Shack’s ratings to be 15A continuous (about 45W) and 3000mAh.

Two cells were purchased for the purposes of testing by me

Ratings graphic: https://imgur.com/a/G91Lc3I

Test report: https://bit.ly/2A9cCOM

I want to work for the vaping community full time! If you feel what I do is worth a couple dollars a month and you would like early access to battery availability and testing news and a say in what I test then please consider becoming a patron and supporting my testing efforts: https://www.patreon.com/batterymooch

These tests only note the ESTIMATED ratings for these batteries at the time I tested them. Any battery that is not a genuine Samsung, Sony, LG, Panasonic, or Sanyo can change at any time! This is one of the hazards of using “rewrapped” batteries or batteries from other manufacturers so carefully research any battery you are considering using before purchasing.

Misusing or mishandling lithium-ion batteries can pose a SERIOUS RISK of personal injury or property damage. They are not meant to be used outside of a protected battery pack. Never exceed the battery’s continuous current rating and keep the plastic wrap and top insulating ring in perfect condition.

Any rating in my ratings tables can change at any time as different grade cells appear on the market, we get swamped with fakes, or new information becomes available to me. Please, never assume that the ratings in the tables are permanent and will never change! Always download the latest version before considering any cell purchase.

To see how other cells have tested check out this link: https://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/blog-entry/list-of-battery-tests.7436/

This VRK is now using an unknown cell with a 4-leg top contact. I do not know the true ratings for this newer cell but VRK says they have not changed.

I spent huge amounts of time last month chasing down several cell changes done by multiple battery wrapping companies and I will no longer do that. The burden should be on the companies that wrap these cells, not our community.

In my opinion, if the cell is changed then the wrap should be changed too. Even if the battery wrapping company feels the ratings haven’t changed. Too often our community has been subjected to the practice of lower rated, or lower grade, cells being swapped for a higher rated cell at some point. All being done without a change of the ratings on the wrap. If these companies want us to buy their cells they need to gain back the trust of the community and let us know when there is a cell change and what its true ratings now are.

There are several other sources for the 5-leg top contact 30A 3000mAh Molicel INR20700A. Vapcell and Efest, based on my recent testing, were still rewrapping the Molicel with their purple 30A 3000mAh cells. There are no guarantees though and any rewrapped cell can change at any time! The Molicel was recently available as the ”OEM” 20700 from www.liionwholesale.com and www.imrbatteries.com. I do not know if it is still in stock though.

The 20700/21700 ratings table entry for this VRK has been updated with the word WRAP being used in place of the ratings and the entry has been given a red background (https://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/blog-entry/20650-20700-21700-battery-ratings-table.7827/). This will be done for any cell that is changed without a wrap change. None of them will be retested unless a wrap change is made.

Photos: https://imgur.com/a/gN4ccUq

I want to work for the vaping community full time! If you feel what I do is worth a couple dollars a month and you would like early access to battery availability and testing news and a say in what I test then please consider becoming a patron and supporting my testing efforts: https://www.patreon.com/batterymooch

Misusing or mishandling lithium-ion batteries can pose a SERIOUS RISK of personal injury or property damage. They are not meant to be used outside of a protected battery pack. Never exceed the battery’s continuous current rating and keep the plastic wrap and top insulating ring in perfect condition.

Any rating in my ratings tables can change at any time as different grade cells appear on the market, we get swamped with fakes, or new information becomes available to me. Please, never assume that the ratings in the tables are permanent and will never change! Always download the latest version before considering any cell purchase.

To see how other cells have tested check out this link: https://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/blog-entry/list-of-battery-tests.7436/

This appears to be the cell that was rewrapped for the green Vapcell 25A 2600mAh and Ampking 35A-45A 2600mAh cells. It is a great performer that beats the Sony VTC5A, equals the Samsung 25S, and almost equals the Samsung 24S or Sony VTC6A.

E-One Moli Energy Corp. (“Moli”) and N-Power Energy, Ltd (their distributor for the vaping community) sent me four cells from Taiwan for testing that they said were Grade A. This will allow me to detect when a battery wrapping company is using unauthorized lower grade cells. 

Moli won’t be making this cell directly available to us in its original wrapper, due to agreements with their existing customers, but it is rewrapped by at least two companies so far.

The datasheet for this cell lists it as having a 35A “maximum discharging current” rating. This should be considered just a capability of the cell and not the true continuous rating. The cell almost reaches the boiling point of water at 35A continuous and that is much too high a temperature for 35A continuous to be a rating that ensures good cycle life. 

The datasheet lists the minimum capacity at 2500mAh and typical capacity at 2600mAh. The four Molicels I tested delivered 2629mAh – 2641mAh at 520mA (0.2C) down to 2.5V. This is fantastic consistency.

I am rating this Molicel at 25A and 2600mAh.

Four cells were donated for the purposes of testing by Moli (http://www.molicel.com/hq/about/aboutus1.html) and N-Power Energy, Ltd. Thank you!

Ratings graphic: https://imgur.com/a/ornlNqn

Test report: https://bit.ly/2Pm0qPV

I want to work for the vaping community full time! If you feel what I do is worth a couple dollars a month and you would like early access to battery availability and testing news and a say in what I test then please consider becoming a patron and supporting my testing efforts: https://www.patreon.com/batterymooch

These tests only note the ESTIMATED ratings for these batteries at the time I tested them. Any battery that is not a genuine Samsung, Sony, LG, Panasonic, or Sanyo can change at any time! This is one of the hazards of using “rewrapped” batteries or batteries from other manufacturers so carefully research any battery you are considering using before purchasing.

Misusing or mishandling lithium-ion batteries can pose a SERIOUS RISK of personal injury or property damage. They are not meant to be used outside of a protected battery pack. Never exceed the battery’s continuous current rating and keep the plastic wrap and top insulating ring in perfect condition.

Any rating in my ratings tables can change at any time as different grade cells appear on the market, we get swamped with fakes, or new information becomes available to me. Please, never assume that the ratings in the tables are permanent and will never change! Always download the latest version before considering any cell purchase.

This is the five “leg” top contact 20700 that was rewrapped by so many companies earlier this year. It is a true 30A cell that is the best choice for over 25A use since the Sanyo NCR20700A and NCR2070C are not available anywhere.

If you only need a 20A-25A rated cell though, about 60W-75W in a regulated device, then the “tabbed” top contact 3000mAh iJoy or the Golisi S32 3200mAh would probably give you a bit more vaping time before recharging. 

E-One Moli Energy Corp. (“Moli”) and N-Power Energy, Ltd (their distributor for the vaping community) sent me four cells from Taiwan for testing that they said were Grade A. This will allow me to detect when a battery wrapping company is using unauthorized lower grade cells. 

Moli won’t be making this cell directly available to us in its original wrapper, due to agreements with their existing customers, but it is rewrapped by several companies. I will be testing/retesting some of these rewrapped cells soon. Some vendors might still have this cell in its original wrap though, described as an “OEM” cell.

The datasheet for this cell lists it as having a 35A “maximum discharging current” rating but it also says “cycle life is reduced at high rates”. I agree as this cell reaches almost 90°C at 35A and that is much too high a temperature for 35A to be a rating that ensures good cycle life. 

The datasheet lists the minimum capacity at 2800mAh but the typical capacity in my testing is about 3000mAh. The four Molicels I tested delivered 3006mAh – 3029mAh at 600mAh (0.2C) down to 2.5V. This is fantastic consistency.

I am rating this Molicel at 30A and 2800mAh minimum/3000mAh typical.

Four cells were donated for the purposes of testing by Moli (http://www.molicel.com/hq/about/aboutus1.html) and N-Power Energy, Ltd. Thank you!

Ratings graphic: https://imgur.com/a/TpfaiZq

Test report: https://bit.ly/2y8JcxK

I want to work for the vaping community full time! If you feel what I do is worth a couple dollars a month and you would like early access to battery availability and testing news and a say in what I test then please consider becoming a patron and supporting my testing efforts: https://www.patreon.com/batterymooch

These tests only note the ESTIMATED ratings for these batteries at the time I tested them. Any battery that is not a genuine Samsung, Sony, LG, Panasonic, or Sanyo can change at any time! This is one of the hazards of using “rewrapped” batteries or batteries from other manufacturers so carefully research any battery you are considering using before purchasing.

Misusing or mishandling lithium-ion batteries can pose a SERIOUS RISK of personal injury or property damage. They are not meant to be used outside of a protected battery pack. Never exceed the battery’s continuous current rating and keep the plastic wrap and top insulating ring in perfect condition.

Any rating in my ratings tables can change at any time as different grade cells appear on the market, we get swamped with fakes, or new information becomes available to me. Please, never assume that the ratings in the tables are permanent and will never change! Always download the latest version before considering any cell purchase.

So frustrating that such a great cell was wrapped and rated this way.

While this cell has an exaggerated current rating, a useless pulse/max rating, and is not from Japan as stated on the wrap, Ampking has rewrapped a fantastic performing cell. It easily beats the VTC5A and essentially performs the same as the 18650 VTC6A. The Samsung 20S still hits harder for most of a discharge at high current levels but the 20S’ lower capacity rating means that eventually this cell (and the VTC6A) will run for longer as the voltage drops.

In my opinion this is the same Taiwan cell used by the accurately rated Vapcell green 25A 2600mAh and will probably be rewrapped by other companies too. I’ll be posting more information about that Taiwan cell soon.

Unfortunately, this Ampking has a thin paper top insulating ring that Ampking should replace with a good plastic one. I strongly recommend not using this cell in any device or charger that can tear or stretch the battery’s plastic wrap at the top. Do not let eliquid, or any liquid, get on the top of this cell unless you rewrap the cell and replace the ring with a plastic one.

The four Ampking cells I tested delivered 2626mAh – 2634mAh at 500mA (0.2C) down to 2.5V. This is fantastic consistency.

This cell’s “35A-45A” rating is exaggerated and confusing. Do they mean it has a rating somewhere 35A and 45A? Or are they claiming a continuous rating of 35A and a (useless) pulse/max rating of 45A? I don’t know. 

At 35A continuous though this cell reaches about the boiling point of water. This is MUCH too hot to use 35A for a rating as the cycle life of this battery would be significantly reduced. The cell that Ampking rewraps even says this in the datasheet.

At 25A continuous this cell reaches about 80°C, a common limit for many cells being run at their true rating. I am ESTIMATING this Ampking’s ratings to be 25A continuous (about 75W) and 2500mAh.

Four cells were donated for the purposes of testing by Ampking (http://www.ampking.com). Thank you!

Ratings graphic: https://imgur.com/a/PpPKydm

Test report: https://bit.ly/2OX4B4f

I want to work for the vaping community full time! If you feel what I do is worth a couple dollars a month and you would like early access to battery availability and testing news and a say in what I test then please consider becoming a patron and supporting my testing efforts: https://www.patreon.com/batterymooch

These tests only note the ESTIMATED ratings for these batteries at the time I tested them. Any battery that is not a genuine Samsung, Sony, LG, Panasonic, or Sanyo can change at any time! This is one of the hazards of using “rewrapped” batteries or batteries from other manufacturers so carefully research any battery you are considering using before purchasing.

Misusing or mishandling lithium-ion batteries can pose a SERIOUS RISK of personal injury or property damage. They are not meant to be used outside of a protected battery pack. Never exceed the battery’s continuous current rating and keep the plastic wrap and top insulating ring in perfect condition.

Any rating in my ratings tables can change at any time as different grade cells appear on the market, we get swamped with fakes, or new information becomes available to me. Please, never assume that the ratings in the tables are permanent and will never change! Always download the latest version before considering any cell purchase.

This is a fantastic performing cell, easily beating the VTC5A and essentially performing the same as the 18650 VTC6A. The Samsung 20S still hits harder for most of a discharge at high current levels but the 20S’ lower capacity rating means that eventually this cell (and the VTC6A) run for longer as the voltage drops.

It’s not a Samsung, Sony, etc., rewrap and doesn’t appear to be a China manufactured cell. I think I know which cell it is but I need to do some other testing before I can say anything definitive. Hopefully it becomes more widely available soon as it’s a great performer for both regulated and unregulated/mechanical devices.

The four cells I tested delivered 2656mAh – 2672mAh at 500mA (0.2C) down to 2.5V. This is very good consistency.

I am ESTIMATING this Vapcell’s ratings to be 25A continuous (about 75W) and 2500mAh.

Four cells were donated for the purposes of testing by Vapcell (http://www.vapcelltech.com). Thank you!

Ratings graphic: https://imgur.com/a/0g5Mgd1

Test report: https://bit.ly/2QRjab3

I want to work for the vaping community full time! If you feel what I do is worth a couple dollars a month and you would like early access to battery availability and testing news and a say in what I test then please consider becoming a patron and supporting my testing efforts: https://www.patreon.com/batterymooch

These tests only note the ESTIMATED ratings for these batteries at the time I tested them. Any battery that is not a genuine Samsung, Sony, LG, Panasonic, or Sanyo can change at any time! This is one of the hazards of using “rewrapped” batteries or batteries from other manufacturers so carefully research any battery you are considering using before purchasing.

Misusing or mishandling lithium-ion batteries can pose a SERIOUS RISK of personal injury or property damage. They are not meant to be used outside of a protected battery pack. Never exceed the battery’s continuous current rating and keep the plastic wrap and top insulating ring in perfect condition.

Any rating in my ratings tables can change at any time as different grade cells appear on the market, we get swamped with fakes, or new information becomes available to me. Please, never assume that the ratings in the tables are permanent and will never change! Always download the latest version before considering any cell purchase.

To see how other cells have tested check out this link: https://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/blog-entry/list-of-battery-tests.7436/